Snowmobilers, football fans, ice fishermen and the like, participate in their activities during very cold or subzero weather and accordingly, it is necessary to wear a protective mask to prevent the face from freezing. The ideal mask should be one which fits closely to the face and which accommodates a wide variety of facial characteristics while at the same time providing adequate protection to the wearer. Preferably, the mask should be made of a light weight material which is readily foldable for storage in the pocket of a winter garment. It is necessary for the mask to provide both warmth and protection from the wind.
A variety of prior art masks are described in patents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,563, issued Apr. 22, 1975, to Pulju; U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,100, issued Oct. 30, 1973, to Colman et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,767, issued June 26, 1973, to Schuessler. While each of these patents describes a mask which is adequate, none of the patents provides all the features set forth above for the most desirable mask for cold weather protection.